Digestion

People love to talk about “detox” and “cleansing,” often without a real sense of what the words mean. Here’s what I can tell you, based upon experience, science, and observation:

What is detoxification/cleansing?

Detox/cleansing is the process by which our cells, organs, tissues, and digestive system begin to release the waste and toxins we’ve accumulated from our environment and consumption.

We accumulate toxins constantly. They build up from exposure to chemicals, pollution, carcinogens in our environment, and most of all, from improperly digested and unhealthy foods. Even the simple processes of digestion and metabolism release toxic byproducts. Our bodies are naturally equipped to deal with some of these toxins, of course: the human body is magnificently smart, and it’s designed to clean up its own mess. But here’s the thing: because we’re all exposed to hundreds of toxins nowadays in addition to the toxins we create ourselves, our clean up systems are constantly being forced to work overtime. Our bodies delicate regulatory methods and organs (like our livers) were not designed for twenty first century living.

Which means that all of us are carrying around more toxins than we should be: our livers and lymphatic systems and skin–and especially our digestive systems–simply can’t flush out all of the toxicity our bodies are contending with (and of course, the more toxic food you eat, and booze you guzzle, and cigarettes you puff on, the more you’re adding to the build up!). Excess toxins are stored in our tissues and digestive tract, and can lead to fatigue, pain, poor digestion, and other chronic health complaints.

The good news is that toxicity isn’t irreversible. Another amazing thing about the human body: its capacity for healing. When you begin to eat plant-based, alkalizing foods–and raw foods in particular–they help to awaken these toxins. Why? For one thing, most toxic matter is acidic, and the alkaline foods work to neutralize it. This is of course a good thing, but it can temporarily be a bad thing. Neutralizing toxicity is likely to make you feel a little worse before you feel better. This is what “detox” really is, and as you’ve probably heard, it’s not always fun (example: smokers who quit often experience something called “quitter’s flu,” which is actually the body’s mucous membranes cleaning themselves). It can include fevers, breakouts, fatigue, bloating, and changes in bowel function.

The good news? This phase doesn’t last forever, and there are essential steps you can take to handle the process:

•Get gravity-administered colonics from a practiced professional. Cassie Karopkin is, in my opinion, the best specialist to see in New York City; you can get in touch by emailing her at cassieruth@prodigy.net. Otherwise, search for a specialist in your area. All colonics are not created equal: pressurized colonics (closed system) can be great if they’re administered by an awesome hydrotherapist, but keep in mind that they’re powered by a machine, and that the water pressure during the treatments can be too intense for badly impacted systems, pushing waste further into the colon walls or leaving you with unreleased fluid and bloating after the treatment.

Gravity colonics (open system), on the other hand, are powered only by the force of gravity: water flows downward from a tank of water that’s suspended above the colonic table, and a hydrotherapist massages and controls the inward and outward flow of water the whole time.

No matter what, it’s the quality and experience of your hydrotherapist that matters most, so work to find someone whom you trust!

And don’t be scared. People have a hard time coming to terms with the idea of a colonic, but guess what? 90% of things that women will do to experience better health–from bogus and nutritionally void “master cleanse” regimes to powdered “liver flush” regimens to militaristic and overpriced boot camp classes–strike me as way weirder than using a gentle flow of water to heal an system that’s impacted and out of balance from chronic constipation and poor diet. Believe me when I say that gravity colonics will help you to experience a plant-based lifestyle with maximum energy, vibrancy, and ease.

•Drink lots of fresh vegetable juices.

•Try dry brushing. Dry brushes are big, natural bristle brushes that you brush off your skin with. The reason they work is because the skin is one of the main organs to facilitate detox: we release so many toxins through it. Dry brushing helps us to slough them off. Dry brushes are about $7, and using them will make a huge contribution to your well being. You can find them online here.

Cleansing is rough, but try to embrace it as your body’s way of cleaning up. It’s a good thing! Think about how gross it is that so much junk is passing through your system, and how great you’ll feel when it’s gone for good.

Digestive Health

Part of maintaining a happy and healthy plant-based lifestyle is to be vigilant about your digestive health. I hope to discuss digestive health much more extensively on the blog, but below you’ll find my basic tips for keeping your system humming. Lots of these tips will contradict what you’ve heard in fitness magazines and mainstream sources. I had IBS for twelve years, and found myself constantly confounded by the uselessness of mainstream prescriptive advice–and, sadly, the advice of numerous allopathic GIs. I’m not a medical doctor, but I have worked with many men and women who experience digestive distress, and the following tips are what I’ve gleaned from experience:

Light to Heavy

In general, it’s wise to eat your densest meal at night. This won’t work for everyone–especially not those of you who have heavy duty morning workout routines–but it’s good advice for most people. Likewise, within meals, try to eat heavier and denser foods after raw, light ones; again, no need to get obsessive, but eating salad before nutloaf is probably a good call.

Food combining: A Primer

If you’ve explored the raw foods movement a little, you’ll probably have heard some talk about food combining and its benefits. While there’s little scientific evidence to prove its efficacy, many people that find that food combining encourages them to eat more simply, which in turn can be therapeutic for digestive distress. Read more about it here!

Other Tips for Optimal Digestion

•Try not to drink a lot of water thirty minutes before and after a meal. I know, it sounds weird, but water dilutes the enzymes in your stomach, making it harder to digest. Drink between meals.

•Definitely eat as much as you wish, but do stop when you’re full. And eat slowly, so that you can feel fullness when it comes naturally.

•Chew your food. Sounds like advice for a toddler, right? Well, lots of us don’t chew our food enough. I know I tend not to when I’m racing through a meal or trying to eat and work at my desk. But chewing food properly means it will digest faster and easier. So, put your molars to work!

Get the idea? A few simple tweaks will do a world of good in helping you to digest more efficiently. Efficient digestion means lack of bloating, weight retention, and even bad moods: new science is proving that we have a glut of neurotransmitters in our gut, and that the neurotransmitters located in our gut are actually responsible for seratonin production. Is it any shock that many individuals with depression–even autism–also have acute digestive disorders? Work harder to keep your GI system balanced, stable, and healthy, and you’ll be thankful in ways that extend well beyond your sudden capacity to throw away the Pepto and Tums.